How long had he wanted to feel her, to be with her in more than just her mind? To hold that small, fragile body in his arms, not just to be with her in his thoughts and her thoughts and his illusions… because that's all it was; an illusion. Mukuro felt as if he had become a victim of his own illusions; fooled into thinking that he could be outside of the prison, that he could be with Chrome, that he was invincible. But oh, how wrong he was. He had always considered himself a strong individual. But in the back of his mind, he knew he was weak.

How long did he wait for them to be back in Japan? After his release from the Vendicare, he had immediately boarded a plane with Tsuna Sawada and Hayato Gokudera, sinking silently into one of the chairs and not uttering a single word as bi-colored eyes stared distantly out the window. He knew it irritated the Tenth's right-hand man, but he could care less. Tsuna had tried to talk to him on several occasions during the flight, but he responded only with a shake or nod of the head, a dismissive wave, of a simple sound that could not even qualify as a word. In his mind, he searched for Chrome, telling her that he would be home soon.

How long could it possibly take for them to be alone? He had not anticipated so many being elated by his recent release. With the exception of Kyoya Hibari, who had to be dragged out of the room by Takeshi Yamamoto and Dino Chiavorone (which earned him an amused 'Kufufu ~' that only proved to further irritate the boy), and the young cow who could care less about any sort of gathering unless there was food involved, all of Vongola's guardians had gathered to greet him, among others in Sawada's misfit family. The two girls, neither of whom he had ever met, greeted him like a long lost friend recently re-met. Of course Ken and Chikusa were there-- if they had not been he would have been concerned—and they were the only two he actually cared to spare a warm smile and even a hug. All the while, Chrome sat in the corner, fiddling absently with the trident she had borrowed from him and watching the spectacle with an ever-present little smile that he so loved on her features.

How long did they simply stare at each other without words? As hard as he tried, he couldn't decide what he wanted to be the first thing he said to her in person. And god knows she wouldn't speak first. Or maybe she would. "Mukuro-sama…" His name seemed to be all she could manage as she stared wide-eyed with her purple doe-eyes, clutching his trident close to her chest. He offered her a soft smile and reached out to her, lightly resting a gloved hand on her cheek. She leaned into his touch, her eyes closing partially. For the first time in five years, he spoke from his own throat. "Nagi…"

How long had it taken for her to tell the story? Chrome had never talked so much in her life, he had thought, as she explained to him everything he had missed when they had gone to the future. Not that he minded hearing her voice. He listened intently with his signature playful smile, taking in every word she said and imagining it all in his head. When she was done, his only response was "Kufufu ~" And she smiled at him from the chair she was sitting on across from him and the couch, and he smiled back. She told him of the way the others had treated her and he told her of his past, and they even had a few glasses of wine (how sophisticated the Tenth had become, he thought, ordering this fine liquor for them) amidst their conversation. Chrome had her own room in the hotel they had been roomed at, but that night she did not leave Mukuro's.

How long had he wanted to feel her underneath him, to touch her bare skin and have her for his own? Of course she was completely lost at first, but he had absolutely no problem with leading her. His gloves came off first, so as to prevent the thin leather layer from hindering the skin to skin contact he craved so badly, and then he had explored every inch of her with his hands as he rid her of the nice suit she had taken to wearing. It didn't take long for her to catch on, as she made short work of his attire as well, her hands ghosting over his body almost as desperately as his, but more cautious, testing, light. He was gentle with her and after she had gotten used to the feeling of him she provoked more, learning how each sound she made affected him and moving beneath him in ways that almost brought him to believe that she had done this before. And although he knew just what he was doing, he feigned cluelessness and allowed her to take the lead only for a short while before showing her just what he could do.

How long had they been asleep? He recalled waking to a knock on the door several times, though he had ignored it and simply pulled the thin, sleeping figure closer to himself, inhaling her scent, savoring the feel of her. After he awoke for what could be the third or fifth or ninth time, he finally bothered to check the time only to find that it was much later than he had wanted, though not to his surprise. He got up and dressed, leaving her to rest a while longer before gently rousing her from sleep with a soft whisper of her name in her ear. She smiled at him, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair (it had gotten long, she thought, but it looked nice on him), offering a quite 'good morning' in a voice so soft he hardly heard it. And he crawled into bed with her, wrapping her up in his arms, giving her as long as she needed to fully wake up before she got out of bed. Though he would have been content if she decided to never leave the sheets.